Downtown Revitalization Element Johnson City Comprehensive Plan
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C I T Y O F J O H N S O N C I T Y, T E N N E S S E E DDoowwnnttoowwnn RReevviittaalliizzaattiioonn EElleemmeenntt C O M P R E H E N S I V E P L A N DOWNTOWN REVITALIZATION ELEMENT JOHNSON CITY COMPREHENSIVE PLAN ADOPTED BY: JOHNSON CITY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS MAY 3, 2007 JOHNSON CITY REGIONAL PLANNING COMMISSION DECEMBER 12, 2006 Prepared By: City of Johnson City Planning Department JOHNSON CITY TENNESSEE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS Steve Darden, Mayor Dr. Phil Roe, Vice-Mayor Dr. Ricky Mohon Jane Myron Pete Paduch M. Denis Peterson, City Manager Charles Stahl, Assistant City Manager Johnson City Regional Planning Commission Joe Grandy, Chairman Vernon Bradley, Secretary Robert McKinney Brenda Clarke Dr. Ricky Mohon Kevin Cole Patricia Oldham* David Lefemine Mark Sizemore Dr. Mike Marchioni, Assistant Secretary* Robert White* * Members of the Downtown Revitalization Element Subcommittee Assisted by Johnson City Development Authority Bridgett Massengill, Executive Director Prepared By The Johnson City Planning Department 601 East Main Street, PO Box 2150, Johnson City, Tennessee 37605-2150 Staff Responsible A) James Donnelly, Planning Director Wendy Jayne Bailey, Planner Steve Neilson, Long-Range Planning Coordinator Jeremy Bryant, Planner Ann Howland, GIS Database Specialist DOWNTOWN REVITALIZATION ELEMENT TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION…………………………………………………...………...1 Historic Overview…………… ………………………………...………...…1 Role of the Johnson City Development Authority …………………….........3 The Planning Process……………………………………………….……….4 Plan Boundary: The Core……………………………………………….…..6 GOAL AND OBJECTIVES…………………………….…………………….9 Goal………………. ………………………………………………………12 Objectives………………………………………………………………….12 EXISTING CONDITIONS…..……………….………………..…………….13 Land Use…………. …………………………………………………….…13 Economic Activity………………. ………………………………………..15 Building Characteristics……………………………………….…………...20 Transportation………………………... …………………………………...23 Streetscape……………. …………………………………………………..26 Parks and Open Space.………………………………………….………….35 Utilities………………………………………………………….………….38 Stormwater…………………………………………………………………42 Zoning and Regulatory Measures………………………………………….42 ANALYSIS ……………………………………..…………………….………46 Economic Activity…………………..………………………………..……46 Building Characteristics……………..…………………………………….50 Transportation…. …………………………………………………………51 Streetscape…………………………………………………………………58 Parks and Open Space………………………………………………….…..69 Utilities………………………………………………………………….….70 Stormwater…………………………………………………………………70 Zoning and Regulatory Measures………………………………………….74 Safety………………………………………………………………………75 POLICIES.…..………………………………………….………………….…76 APPENDIX Appendix 1: Downtown Trees……………………………………..............86 Appendix 2: Fountain Square Report…………………………….…......….87 LIST OF TABLES Table 1. Desired Downtown Activities………………………..…….………...9 Table 2. Reasons for Not Visiting Downtown……………….……...………...9 Table 3. Existing Land Use, Downtown Johnson City, 1998.……………… 13 Table 4. Public Parking Lots…………………………………………………24 Table 5. Parking Study in Public Parking Lots………………………………54 Table 6. Parking Study for On-Street Parking……………………………….55 LIST OF CHARTS Chart 1. Public Parking Lots………………….……………….…….……….24 LIST OF MAPS Map 1. Downtown Core Study Area...………………………………….............7 Map 2. Existing Land Use………………………………………………..……14 Map 3. Core National Register Districts………..………………………..……19 Map 4. Downtown Parking ……………..….………………………….…..…..25 Map 5. Existing Gateways………………………………………………..…....27 Map 6. Wayfinding/Parking Signs….…………..………………………...…...29 Map 7. Roads with Existing Street Lights……………......................................33 Map 8. Streetscape Furniture Locations………..…………………..…..….…..36 Map 9. Overhead Wiring..………..……………………………………………39 Map 10. Existing Johnson City Fiber Optics...…………………....….…….….41 Map 11. Zoning and Historic District Overlay……………...…..……………..44 Map 12. Tax Increment Financing Boundary………………..…..…………… 47 Map 13. Downtown Parking…………………………………..….…….……...53 Map 14. Proposed Gateway/Wayfinding Signs………………..….……..…….60 Map 15. Roads with Proposed Street Lights……………….…..……….……..66 Map 16. Proposed Additional Streetscape Elements.…………..……….……..68 Map 17. Overhead Wiring to be Placed Underground .………..…………...... 71 Map 18. Proposed Fiber Optics…………………………………..……………72 Johnson City Comprehensive Plan Downtown Revitalization Element INTRODUCTION Over the years, Johnson City has increasingly worked to maintain its history and heritage while also maximizing opportunities for enhancing the quality of life for its citizens. As the city continues to expand with education, retail, industry, and health care facilities providing the catalyst, the importance of maintaining the small town character of the downtown becomes more evident. Communities across the country are realizing the importance of focusing economic development energies into their downtowns as they are the symbol of civic pride and the community’s beginning. The Downtown Revitalization Element seeks to provide a framework for citizens, businesses, and elected officials of Johnson City to use in planning the future of the downtown. Johnson City is a community of more than 57,000 located in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains of upper northeast Tennessee and is the largest city in the Tri- Cities metropolitan area, which is the fourth largest metro area in the State. Within the downtown, 79 commercial structures with construction dates ranging from 1887 – 1953, including the John Sevier Hotel, were listed in the Johnson City Commercial Historic District on the National Register of Historic Places in July 2003. As continued revitalization occurs, additional properties are expected to be included in the National Register. In May 2005, Johnson City became a nationally accredited and state certified Main Street community, the first accreditation for the city’s downtown revitalization efforts. HISTORIC OVERVIEW Since December 1, 1869, when officially chartered by the State of Tennessee, the city has undergone many changes as population increased and residential and commercial uses moved away from the downtown core. Johnson City has subsequently grown from a city with a strong historic central business district to one of urban sprawl. Businesses once located in one central location, the historic downtown, have relocated to the northern areas of the city, resulting in the decline and neglect of the downtown. Over time, many different factors contributed to the movement that directed attention away from downtown and towards development efforts on the northern fringe of the city. Historians credit the beginning of Johnson City with the coming of the East Tennessee and Virginia Railroad, now known as the Norfolk Southern Railroad. The significance of a major mode of transportation cutting through an area was of great importance to early settlers. Henry Johnson first realized the potential of the railroad and as a result, the earliest developments in Johnson City occurred in the present downtown core around the rail lines. In 1854, fifteen years before Johnson City became a chartered city, Henry Johnson constructed a storehouse at the junction of the proposed new railroad and the southwest corner of Stage Road, now Market Street. Along with the storehouse, he constructed a store, depot, post office, and residence. At the same time, Thomas Faw constructed a home and a store in the middle of the now 200 block of East Main Street. With a 1 Johnson City Comprehensive Plan Downtown Revitalization Element INTRODUCTION population of only 500, the city limits were set with a one-half-mile radius from the depot on the public square. In 1881, the second railroad, the East Tennessee and Western North Carolina Railroad emerged. Additional growth occurred resulting in the corporate limits being extended to 7.2 square miles with the population reaching 4,645 in 1889. Stores were built in response to railroad traffic coming through downtown and businesses emerged in response to convenient access to railroad transportation. Industry and manufacturing were strong markets in Johnson City and located in close proximity around the railroad tracks. All activities encircled the downtown central business district with the rail line leading into and out of the center of the town. As population increased, Johnson City experienced substantial growth during the 1900s in the downtown area. Throughout the 1900s, business extended outward from the central business district along the transportation corridors. The surge in population growth may have been in response to the emergence of a third rail line in Johnson City. In 1907, the Clinchfield Railroad line was constructed through downtown. With the third railroad through downtown, a three-railroad convergence occurred in central Johnson City. With the expansion of the railroad, manufacturing began locating along the rail corridor. Additionally, the John Sevier hotel, the public library, the King building, the Johnson City Press, and the WJHL building (formerly the United States Post Office) emerged between 1923-1938 and contributed to the growth of downtown. In 1976, a report entitled “Inside Johnson City and Washington County, Tennessee” described downtown as the most concentrated shopping area of the city. The report continued by stating that variety and convenience were two words associated with shopping downtown. Additional improvements to the downtown area within the next five years were proposed to further enhance the attractiveness of the area to shoppers. These improvements included the introduction of the bus transit